IP Library Granted Patent US 9,321,488
Granted Patent B2
US 9,321,488 · App. 14/003,956 · Granted Apr 26, 2016

Front body structure

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,321,488
App. No.
14/003,956
Granted
Apr 26, 2016
Kind
B2
Abstract

A front vehicle body structure for a vehicle body ( 1 ) having a vehicle interior compartment ( 2 ) and a front compartment ( 3 ) which is provided in front of the vehicle interior compartment ( 2 ). The front vehicle body structure is provided with: strut towers ( 16 ) to which the upper edges of struts for the front wheels are mounted; front pillars ( 20 ) extending, at positions at the front of the vehicle interior compartment and on both sides in the width direction, from the roof of the vehicle interior compartment toward the upper edge of the rear of the front compartment; and reinforcement members ( 25, 70 ) each having one end joined to the strut tower and the other end joined to the front pillar. Each of the reinforcement members is joined to the strut tower on both the inner side and outer side of a plane (S) with respect to the vehicle body, the plane (S) passing through the axis of the strut and extending in the front-rear direction of the vehicle body. As a result of the configuration, the front vehicle body structure can efficiently increase the torsional rigidity of the vehicle body of the automobile and in turn can efficiently reduce the weight of the vehicle body by a plate thickness reduction achieved using a high-tensile steel plate.

Claims (9)

1. A front body structure in a body which has a passenger compartment and a front compartment which is arranged at a front side of said passenger compartment, comprising:

strut towers which are arranged inside said front compartment at two sides of a width direction of said front compartment and which have strut setting parts to which top edges of struts for front wheel are attached;

front pillars which extend at the front of said passenger compartment at the two sides in the width direction from the roof of said passenger compartment toward the rear top edge of said front compartment; and

reinforcing parts with first ends joined to the strut towers and with other ends joined to the front pillars,

wherein said reinforcing parts are integrally shaped members which are formed from same blanks as component members forming at least parts of the front pillars, are at least parts of the ends of the front pillars, and are joined to the strut setting parts so that lower ends of said reinforcing parts completely enclose load points of the strut setting parts and are directly joined to the strut setting parts.

2. The front chassis structure as set forth in claim 1 wherein said front pillars comprise outer members which are arranged at chassis-outside and inner members which are arranged at a chassis-inside, and said reinforcing members are integrally shaped members which are formed from the same blanks as the inner members.

3. The front chassis structure as set forth in claim 1 or 2 , further comprising a dash panel which separates said passenger compartment and said front compartment and a cowl top which extends above said dash panel in a width direction of a chassis, wherein said reinforcing members are also joined to said cowl top.

4. The front chassis structure as set forth in claim 3 wherein said reinforcing members are integrally shaped members which are formed from the same blanks as component members which form at least part of said cowl top.

5. The front chassis structure as set forth in claim 1 , further comprising upper members which are arranged at width ends of said passenger compartment and extend in a front-rear direction of said chassis, wherein said reinforcing members are also joined to said upper members.

Assignments (2)
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded May 14, 2019
From: NIPPON STEEL & SUMITOMO METAL CORPORATION
To: NIPPON STEEL CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 049257/0828 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Nov 5, 2013
From: KAWACHI, TAKESHI; NIWA, TOSHIYUKI; DAIMARU, SEIICHI
To: NIPPON STEEL & SUMITOMO METAL CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 031543/0075 →